The lawsuit claims that Cawthorn, the one-term Republican politician accused of participating in the January 6 riots, failed to pay his “high-powered” conservative attorney an estimated $190,000 in legal fees.
A conservative attorney who defended one-term U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn against allegations of insurrection has filed a lawsuit against his former client, accusing the North Carolina politician of failing to pay his legal fees.
According to The Asheville Citizen Times, attorney James R. Bopp, Jr., has asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Indiana to compel Cawthorn to reimburse an estimated $190,000 in outstanding legal fees and expenses.
“On or about January 10, 2022, [the Bopp Law Firm] began representing Mr. Cawthorn in response to a challenge to Mr. Cawthorn’s qualifications as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives,” Bopp wrote in the lawsuit.
Bopp states that, on or about January 20, he and Cawthorn discussed and entered into an agreement encompassing the initial challenge, the potential for appeals, and other lawsuit-related considerations.
Cawthorn, who had been accused of participating in the January 6 riots at the United States Capitol, was defending against claims that his participation in a so-called “insurrection” made him ineligible to serve as a federal congressperson.
“To date, Mr. Cawthorn has an outstanding, unpaid balance of $193,296.85, apart from any interest that is due and apart from any fees due for work on collecting overdue amounts, as provided under the terms of the agreement,” the lawsuit states.
January 6, 2021 storming of the United States Capitol. Photo by Tyler Merbler, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0The Citizen Times describes Bopp as a “high-powered” conservative attorney who has argued cases before the Supreme Court and spearheaded litigation challenging campaign donation laws and restrictions.
In 2020, Bopp filed lawsuits in four states challenging Joe Biden’s victory over former President Donald Trump.
After the January 6 unrest outside the Capitol, Cawthorn—along with several other Republican members of Congress—faced legal challenges from other politicians, who claimed that they were unable to sit for office after participating in a resurrection against the federal government.
While a U.S. District Court judge eventually ruled in Cawthorn’s favor, the West North Carolina Republican ultimately lost his re-election bid in the May 17 state primary.
The Citizen Times reports that, irrespective of the outcome of Bopp’s lawsuit, Cawthron faces an uncertain legal future: the one-term representative was recently issued a ticket for excessive speeding, and is facing misdemeanor charges for attempting to transport a loaded handgun through security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Cawthorn was also recently fined about $15,000 by the House Ethics Committee for improperly promoting a cryptocurrency that he owned and had invested in.
Sources
High-powered lawyer argued Madison Cawthorn not insurrectionist, now suing for big legal bill
Madison Cawthorn sued by own lawyers over $193K unpaid legal fees
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